Protector



g- 20, 1940- R. w. JENNINGS 2,211,822

PROTECTOR Filed April 20, 1939 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 20, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT QFHQE 8 Claims.

My invention relates to shoes, particularly of the type designed for athletic wear, and has among its objects and advantages the provision of an improved protector.

An object of my invention is to provide a protector designed for association with shoes such as are worn by hockey players and the like, wherein the protective feature embodies strips of flexible material such as whalebone, rattan, steel, etc., grouped to afford effective protection for the ankles of the wearer about the vicinity of the Achilles tendon. More specifically, the protecting strips are closely grouped in substantially parallel relation and tied into a unitary structure for supporting the strips in predetermined spaced relation, with the strips defining a protective area affording complete protection for the ankle area defined by the Achilles tendon and at suitable margins along the sides of the ankle. I arrange the protective strips so as to lie longitudinally of the leg of the wearer and the strips are so spaced as to embody a flexible construction which conforms readily to the contour of the ankle when the shoe upper or quarter is laced or otherwise fastened.

My protective feature is designed so as to facilitate incorporation thereof in the shoe at the time of manufacture of the shoe, or the protective feature may be made up as a unit separate and apart from the shoe and designed for attachment to a conventional shoe. In shoes employed by hockey players, it frequently happens that the upper or quarter part of the shoe does not fit sumciently snug about the ankle to prevent ice fragments and the like from dropping into the shoe. My invention embodies a filler element which extends about the upper margin of the shoe quarter for effectively filling any space which might otherwise be present so as to prevent the entrance of ice fragments and the like. This feature may comprise a band of lambs wool extending along the upper margin of the protective feature of such thickness as to have effective pressure relation with the ankle. In addition to constituting a seal against the entrance of ice fragments and the like, the sealing element is of a soft pliable nature and functions to prevent chafing of the ankle.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure l is a side elevational view of a hockey shoe embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is an elevational view of a portion of the shoe quarter flattened and broken away for the sake of clearness;

Figure 3 is a sectional view along the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the protective unit designed for association with the shoe at the option of the wearer; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view of the shoe quarter flattened illustrating the unit of Figure 4 attached thereto.

In the embodiment selected to illustrate my invention, the shoe ID includes an ankle high upper or quarter I2, which quarter is extended at I4 a short distance above the usual edge I6. Within the quarter I2 I incorporate my protector I8, which protector includes a plurality of flexible strip-like elements 20 which may be formed of whalebone, steel or other suitable material. Protector I8 is preferably housed between the lining 22 and the leather part 24 of the quarter at the time of manufacture of the shoe. Strips 20 are arranged in substantially parallel relation and are maintained in predetermined spaced relation by reason of a covering 26, see Figure 3.

Covering 26 may comprise thin leather sheets 28 stitched together along their four margins at 30, with the strip elements 20 positioned between the sheets 28. The sheets are stitched together between the strip elements 20, as at 32, so that each strip is housed inside an individual compartment to be effectively restrained from relative shifting with respect to the other strip elements. Protector I8 may be fixedly secured in position within the quarter I2 through the medium of stitching 34, which connects. the protector with the lining 22, although the protector may be sewed to both the lining and the leather part of the quarter. Sewing the protector to the v lining masks the stitching from view so far as external appearances are concerned.

It will be noted that the lining 22 and the leather part 24 are extended to constitute the extension I4, with the protector extending into the extension and the lower ends of the strip elements terminating short of the counter part of the shoe. I arrange the strip elements vertically and spaced so as to lend an element of flexibility to the protector. Thus the protector and the shoe quarters are characterized by a high degree of flexibility so as to bend easily to the contour of the ankle for close fitting relation therewith. Protector I8 encloses the Achilles tendon and embraces side margins of the ankle so as to afford a large protection area for this part of the ankle. Strip elements 20 flex easily so as to conform nicely to the configuration of the ankle and function to prevent injury to the wearer. In athletic shoes, particularly in connection with playing games such as hockey, frequent injuries are caused by the skates of other players. The Achilles tendon area of the ankle is a sensitive region and is frequently injured. My protector l8 affords complete protection for this part of the ankle in addition to embodying a flexible element which lends comfort to the wearer. In addition to lending protection against injury, I provide the inner face of the extension l4 and a margin of the quarter proper with an anti-chafing element 36 which hugs the leg closely to prevent entrance of ice chips and the like. Element 36 may comprise lambs wool 38 with the margins of the leather stitched at ill to the extension I 4 and the quarter I2. Wool S8 is of suflicient length to provide a soft cushion of considerable body so as to bring the wool into pressure relation with the leg of the wearer to eifect a complete seal against the entrance of ice chips and the like. In addition, the wool 38 provides a soft cushion to eliminate chafing of the leg.

In Figures 4 and 5, I illustrate a different form of protector 22. In this form, the flexible strip elements 44 are positioned between two leather sheets 46 and 38, with the sheets cut to provide extensions 58 corresponding to the extension M of Figure 1. Sheets 46 and 48, including the extensions 56, are stitched together at 52 about their margins and the sheets are also stitched together between the strip elements M, at 54. Sheets 46 and 48 may be made up of sections 56 stitched together at 58, and the sheet 38 is extended to provide a flap 6G. 'igure 5 illustrates the central strip element M as being arranged parallel to the line of stitching 53 with the strip elements on either side of the central strip arranged in diverging relation downwardly with respect to the central strip. However, the strip elements in each group adjacent the central strip element are arranged in parallel rela tion with respect to each other. This arrangement provides aflared effect to the protector as it is bent to conform to the ankle so as to conform more closely to the ankle contour.

Figure 5 illustrates the protector 42 in association with the shoe quarter 62 with the extensicns 5 extending above the upper edge 6 of the quarter. Protector 4-2 is stitched along the lines 66 to the upper 52 for fixedly relating the protector to the shoe quarter. An anti-chafing element 63 is sewed to the face of the sheet 48. Element 68 also constitutes a seal against the entrance of ice chips and the like. Thus the protector of Figures l and 5 may be manufactured independently of the shoes and subsequently sewed therein by the wearer.

Having thus described certain embodiments of my invention in detail, it is, of course, understood that I do not desire to limit the scope thereof to the exact details set forth except in so far as those details may be defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an athletic shoe, an ankle protector comprising a series of flexible elements, a flexible covering for said flexible elements fashioned to hold the latter in predetermined spaced relation and adapted to embrace the ankle of the wearer, to afford protection around the Achilles tendon of the wearer, and flexible anti-chafing means extending transversely of said series of flexible elements for engagement with the leg of the wearer.

As a new article of manufacture, an ankle protector comprising a series of flexible elements, a covering for said flexible elements, said covering being stitched between the flexible elements to hold the latter in predetermined spaced relation, said covering being flexible and the spacing :etween the flexible elements being such as to permit the protector to conform to a shoe ""r'ter for attachment thereto, and an antifing means carried on one face of said covering and adapted to be flexed snugly about the anlde of the wearer.

3. In an ankle high athletic shoe, the quarter of shoe being extended upwardly at the of the quarter, and flexible protective eleincorporated in the quarter and the ex- 1011 of the latter, and means for holding the .e elements i..- predetermined spaced relation, said flexible elements extending longitudinally oi": the ankle of the wearer and said means being flexible to conform to the contour of the ar e.

In an ankle high athletic shoe, the quarter shoe being extended upwardly at the rear of the quarter, flexible protective elements inco porated in the quarter and the extension of the latter, means for holding the flexible ele- It in picdetcrmind spaced relation, said flex- .tuextending? longitudinally of the ankle oi the wearer and said means being flexible to conform to the contour of the ankle, and a flller pad extending about the extension of the quarter for closely embracing the ankle of the wearer.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a protector comprising a series of flexible elements, a flexible covering for said elements, said covering being so fashioned and arranged as to hold the flexible elements in predetermined spaced relation and to bend about axes paralleling the elements, to closely embrace a limb of a wearer, and antichaflng means carried by the protector and bendable therewith to embrace the limb.

6. As a new article of manufacture, an ankle protector comprising a series of flexible elements, covering means for said flexible elements, said covering means being secured for holding said flexible elements in predetermined spaced relation, and cushion means carried by said protector on one side thereof, and adapted to be flexed about the ankle of the wearer.

'7. As a new article of manufacture, an ankle protector comprising a series of flexible metallic elements, a covering for said elements, said covering being stitched between the said elements to hold the latterin predetermind spaced relation, and a protruding filler member along a portion of the protector.

8. As a new article of manufacture, an ankle protector including a flexible element, covering means for said element, said covering means being secured about said element for holding said element in a predetermined position, and cushion means protruding along one edge of said protector and adapted to be flexed about the ankle of the wearer. 

